


the prince and the forest

by roosebolton



Series: Forest Tales [1]
Category: Andrew Hozier-Byrne (Musician), Original Work
Genre: Almost a kiss, Awkward Boners, Dreams and Nightmares, Eventual Romance, FINALLY A KISS, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Forests, Human/Monster Romance, M/M, Mild Horror, Nymphs & Dryads, Royalty, Sad prince, Slow Burn, and an attractive glassblower that might look familiar, and then..., but if you squint you might note a resemblance to two other lads I write about, but not too much, glassblowing, more or less anyway, naked creature and embarrassed prince, noli timere, this is largely original, why do humans wear clothes? We Just Don't Know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22452757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roosebolton/pseuds/roosebolton
Summary: As the prince comes of age, his parents are pressuring him to choose a bride. Instead, he makes an unlikely friend - and perhaps more than that.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character, The Forest Creature/The Prince
Series: Forest Tales [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656337
Comments: 66
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

He had danced with as many princesses as he could stand, one following the next, until finally, he had to take a break. He could not remember their names, and their faces all seemed to blur together as they waltzed and spun through the ballroom. He would be expected to choose one at the end of the night, of course; that was the entire purpose of the royal ball his parents had thrown in his honour. His older brother had had an easier time, or perhaps a luckier one, since his bride-to-be was from a neighbouring kingdom and had long been known to his parents, and as he had long been smitten with _her_ , he begged them to ask for her hand before they tried anything drastic, and as it so happened, she agreed.

But this was the younger brother, and there were no other nearby princesses to be wed, and so this was their solution: royals from near and far, send us your daughters in their finest, and see if, perhaps, one of them is a match for our son.

And so it was. The ballroom was filled with women in proper ballroom attire, and though they individually were all quite lovely in their own ways, he supposed, as a group he found them quite difficult to bear.

 _If I am going to marry, why can't it be for love?_ he thought. _I don't even know anything about any of these women, save the fact that they're all most likely some sort of princess. Or whatever the equivalent to that is where they're from, I guess._

He quietly slipped out of the ballroom out a back door and onto the balcony to get some fresh air. The night was cool and the sky was dark, the stars bright and twinkling. Something about it seemed more magical than anything going on inside the palace that night. 

There was a woods not too far off in the distance, the trees so thick he could barely see in, and something moving there caught his eye. At first, he thought he was imagining it, but the longer he stared, the more he was convinced that something was there, something that seemed larger than any animal he'd seen close up. What little he could see of it was tall, slender, and moved with grace.

Before too long, though, whatever the creature was, it seemed somehow to notice him staring, despite the distance, and just like that, it was gone.

The prince shook his head to clear his murky thoughts, and headed back into the ballroom, which remained the same as it had when he'd left it: brash, loud, bright and colourful, filled with too many unfamiliar faces for him to care.

He took a deep breath, quietly striding up to his parents, and inclined his head, asking to be excused.

"Excused?" said his father, concerned. "Are you well, son? Or perhaps taken with too many of these beauties, eh?" 

"I don't feel well, Father."

His mother beckoned him close and placed the back of her hand against his forehead. "You do feel a bit clammy, son, and your eyes look... off. It's almost the end of the night, anyhow. Go put yourself to bed, and we'll speak of this in the morning."

He bowed at the waist, formally, and dismissed himself to his chambers, locking his bedroom door and heaving a sigh of relief. He stripped down to his underclothes, ran a comb through his unruly fluff of fair hair, and tucked himself into bed, a light breeze faintly moving the curtains in his open window enough that he could see the moon through the cracks before he fell asleep.

In his dreams, he wandered the deep, dark forest. The leaves rustled in the same breeze that made his curtains sway, but the light from the moon hardly penetrated through them. He was unsure where he was going, but he knew he must keep walking. The woods seemed empty, devoid of animal life, but in the back of his mind he somehow knew he was not alone. 

He stopped. He felt as though the whole world was paused, including him, waiting for something to happen, and then he felt the faintest, feather-light breath on the back of his neck. He did not dare to move, terrified of what creature could breathe at that height, and he felt hands gently rest upon his shoulders. The creature leaned even closer, and he felt its warm breathing against his ear. 

And then, it spoke, and what it said was _do not be afraid._


	2. Chapter 2

The prince woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see that it was still dark, though enough time had gone past as he slept that he could no longer see the moon through his window. He sat up in bed, a cold shiver going down his spine, as he remembered the sights and sounds and feels of his dream, and how lifelike and realistic it had felt.

_ Should I go to the forest? _ he thought.  _ Or was it really just a dream? _ He took a deep breath, trying to still his pounding heart.  _ Whatever it was, it told me not to be afraid. _

He lay back down, pulling his covers up, trying to will himself back to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes, he swore he could feel the creature's long hands upon his shoulders and its hot breath against his ear.

_ Do not be afraid. _

He repeated it in his mind, over and over, like a mantra:  _ do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid _ until finally, he fell back asleep, and slept until the morning, with no more dreams he could remember.

In the morning, he could see the shadow of a bird on his windowsill through the thin curtain, chirping happily for a few moments, until it flew away with a couple of noisy wingbeats. He climbed out of bed, ran a hand through his hair, and stepped up to his window, brushing his curtain out of the way to look outside. The sky was bright and sunny with few clouds, and he could see a sliver of the woods he'd been watching last night, though that balcony had been facing a different direction, so he couldn't see much. He sat back down on the bed, contemplating for a while, until there came a knock at his door. He rose to answer it after remembering he had locked it the night before. It was one of the kitchen maids.

"Beg your pardon, m'lord. Thinking you might want breakfast in your chambers as you weren't feeling well last night." She left a tray on the table next to his door and left with a curtsy before he could even thank her. She was right, though - he was famished, between the hectic stress of the ballroom and the heart-pounding dreams he'd had afterward. He lifted the lid of the tray. Inside were a bowl of hot porridge with sugar and spice, a cup of hot black coffee with a pinch of sugar the way he liked, a plate of eggs with a few pieces of fried bacon, and a small bunch of grapes. He picked at all of it, which tasted very nice, though he didn't think he could possibly finish everything. 

The strangest thought occurred to him then:  _ perhaps the creature in the forest is hungry? Would it appreciate if I shared this meal...? _

He furrowed his brow.  _ What am I saying? I don't even know if the creature is real or just something I dreamed up. _

And yet, once the idea took hold in him, he could not seem to let it go. He gathered up what he had not eaten, and packaged it up in a basket that he used sometimes to take picnics out on the lawn. He put on his most comfortable clothes, taking care to not seem as though he'd been feeling  _ too _ much better, for fear his parents would ask too many questions.

He did not, thankfully, run into either of his parents on his way out of the castle. He told the doorman that he was going to eat outdoors to have some fresh air, in case his parents asked where he had gone, and the doorman let him out without a word.

Slowly, he walked in the direction of the woods, though some part of him wanted to run all the way there and confront his fear head-on. When he made it to the entrance, it didn't seem quite as frightening as it had during the night, but it was still not a place he could see very far into, even in the daytime sun. The trees were too close, their thick boughs covering almost everything to reveal much from the outside looking in.

So: in he went. It didn't seem quite as devoid of life as it had in his dream; he saw plenty of small animals like rabbits and squirrels and mice. He didn't sense the tall creature anywhere, and he wondered if it only came out at night. He didn't, however, want to leave without sharing his meal, so he looked for a place he might leave his food for the creature. He came upon a tree which looked as though it had been struck by lightning, and there was a great hollow in the side that seemed the right size to hold his small basket, so he did the best he could to wedge the basket in and hoped that the creature would somehow find it.

He stared at it for a moment, nodded to himself, and left the forest as quickly as he could.

When he returned to the castle, he was let in by the same doorman who'd let him out.

"What happened to your basket?"

He smiled. "Oh, did I have a basket? Must have misplaced it, then, I suppose." 

The doorman shook his head and shrugged. 

The prince got about halfway back to his room before he ran into his mother. "Where did you go, son? Are you feeling better?"

"Took a short walk to clear my head and get some fresh air. Still not feeling my best, so I'm going to lie back down."

"All right, son. We still need to talk about the ball and your prospects for marriage. When you're feeling up to it, of course. Feel better." She touched his cheek briefly and smiled, walking on to wherever she had been headed before they met in the hallway.

He made it back to his room, locking the door behind him and changing out of his outside clothes as he had the previous night, climbing back into bed just as he'd told his mother he would.

It didn't take him long, after the walk and the fresh air, to fall into an easy afternoon nap. When he woke again, it hadn't been more than an hour or two, but it was a noise at his window that woke him.

There was a tapping at his window sill, a strange sort of noise he had not heard before considering he was not on the ground floor of the castle. He turned to look, and there at his window was a large bird pecking rhythmically, its silhouette visible through the curtain. Slowly, he got up and walked toward the window, so as not to frighten it away. When he moved the curtain to the side, he saw it was a huge crow, black and shining, and it turned directly toward him, cawed once loudly, and flew off.

In its place on the sill was the prince's basket, empty save a single pine branch with a pine cone attached.

It could mean only one thing, of course: the creature had accepted his gift. 

_ I worried I had imagined it entirely, _ he thought.  _ Yet... my basket is returned to me, with what seems to be a gift, besides. _

He plucked the pine branch from the basket, turning it over in his hands.  _ What is the branch meant to signify? _ He tucked the basket away in a corner of the room, and after thinking on it, placed the pine branch atop his headboard, in such a manner that he would be able to see it when he went to bed.

Sighing, he dressed for dinner, for he knew his parents would be calling before long, and sure enough, a knock came at the door. It was the same serving girl who had brought him breakfast in the morning, come to fetch him downstairs for the evening meal. Dutifully, he followed her, taking his seat at the table near his father, opposite the place where his brother would sit if he had been at home. 

"Glad to see you feeling a bit better, son," said his father. "I was worried you wouldn't want to come down."

"I still don't feel well," he said, cautiously, "but I thought that a good solid meal might help."

His mother smiled at him from the other end of the table. "That's a good lad, you'll need your energy to feel better, anyhow."

He took a deep breath and nodded. He hoped and wished that his parents would not want to discuss the ill-fated ball, but alas, it was not to be.

"Awful lot of fine young women at your celebration last night, son," said his father. "Wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to choose right away, but you don't want to wait too long, either, else some other marriageable young man might marry them right up."

The prince picked at his food, nodding absently, and conveniently took bites of food whenever he was expected to answer.

"I know you're young, son, but you're old enough to find love proper, I think. Your mum and I weren't much older than you when we got married, you know."

He nodded. He'd heard the story far too many times - it was an arranged marriage that happened to work out in the end.

"We fell in love, dear, your father and I, though we didn't know each other very well at first, of course. Couldn't hurt you to at least give it a go if one of the ladies caught your eye last night."

"And in the end, it wouldn't just be you and your bride getting married, starting a family, but a marriage of two kingdoms. Couldn't be more important than that, really." His father patted him on the hand.

_ Of course it's not love they care about in the end, just legacy. My brother got off easy. At least he and his bride knew each other first. _

"I'll think about it, Father."  _ That's all I can promise, and barely that. _

"That's all I ask, son. Think on it a few days, and we'll start thinking about invitations, hmm?"

_ A few days? I don't even remember any of their names. How can I be expected to choose? _

The rest of the meal passed quietly, and the prince retired to his chambers without incident. He stripped down to his underclothes for the last time that day, and before he climbed into bed, he caught sight of the pine branch above his bed where he had left it. He caught the scent of pine as he drifted off to sleep.

In his dreams, he was in the ballroom, and he was dancing with a princess, though not one he recognised. Her skin was as fair as his, her hair brown and swept up onto the crown of her head. Her face, though, was featureless, no nose or eyes or mouth to speak of, and she reminded him of some sort of crude doll that he'd seen the village girls play with. Courteously, as the song ended, he bowed to her, and she offered a curtsy in return. He stepped backward toward the wall of the room, and as he gazed around, he noticed that all of the other dancing women had the same featureless faces. One or two of them appeared cracked, as though made of broken porcelain. No one else seemed to notice or find it unusual.

As he continued stepping backward, he felt himself bump into someone, though he did not have time to turn around before he felt arms around him, gentle and strong. Part of him wanted to flee, but part of him very much felt relief in those arms. When he looked down, he saw long, thin fingers and pointed, clawlike nails. 

The creature had him in its arms, warm and safe.

_ Do not be afraid, _ it said, just as it had in his other dream.  _ Do not be afraid. _

And somehow, he was not -- not afraid of the creature, anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

When he woke the next morning, he could still feel those arms around him like gnarled, twisted branches, keeping him safe despite their strange and inhuman nature. He was embarrassed to find that he had the problem many lads have upon waking, and went to the privy to relieve himself before returning to his room and dressing for the day. He dreaded going to breakfast to face his parents again, but he put on a brave face and did his best.

When his father asked again if he’d made a decision, he mumbled something about being unable to choose, since they’re all _so_ lovely, it’s _such_ a hard choice, and that seemed to sate his parents for the rest of breakfast, at least.

Inwardly relieved, he saved a bit of his breakfast aside for the creature, just as he had the previous day, begging another sweet roll from the cook to offer also. 

“Going on another picnic, son?” asked his mother, and he nodded.

“I like the fresh air,” he said, “and it helps me think.”

“All to the good, then,” said his father, patting him a little too hard on the back. “You’ll be married in no time.”

He felt sick, then, but didn’t let his face betray him. He excused himself and went back to his room, sitting on his bed. He glanced up at the pine branch he’d tucked atop the headboard.

_Should I bring a gift? Something besides food?_ _I don’t know what I have that the creature would want._

He peeked out of his window, but didn't see any sign of the creature, nor the bird that had delivered his basket back to him. He wrapped the breakfast foods and the sweet roll in a cloth napkin and tucked it in the basket, setting it by the door. Stripping down to his underclothes, he put his traveling outfit on again, grabbing the basket on his way out the door, feeling as though he was in a rush, suddenly, feeling antsy as he waited for the doorman to let him out. He practically ran to the edge of the forest before he finally stopped, leaning up against a tree, resting for a moment.

_Last time, I just left the basket here for the creature, but..._

He took a deep breath.

_Maybe I should... stay?_

His heart beat a little faster at the prospect, though he still had no way of knowing the nature of the creature, what it was, or if it would hurt him, though in his heart he did not believe it would. 

He walked a little farther into the forest, trying to find the tree where he'd left his basket the last time, but he didn't see it. He kept walking until he found a rough stump from a tree that appeared to have been hit by lightning, the rest of the trunk laying to rot on the forest floor. He placed the basket there, though it didn't sit level, and stepped back.

_Should I step away from it? I don't want to seem like I'm trying to hide from the creature. In my dreams it always tells me not to be afraid._

Instead, he took several steps back and leaned up against a heavy oak tree, trying to appear casual, though his heart was pounding in his chest.

He waited for what he reckoned must have been nearly an hour, judging by the sun's movement in the sky, and he considered leaving, but then, just as he was turning to go, he heard a noise, a broken branch, coming from somewhere nearby.

"Hello?" he said, the fear rising in him unbidden, his voice wavering. "Are you there? I've brought you food, like yesterday."

_I don't even know if the creature speaks my language. I’ve only heard it talk in my dreams. Am I making a fool of myself?_

From somewhere he could not yet see, with a gentle, lilting voice that sounded like rustling leaves and wind through the trees, he heard the creature speak.

"Thank you."

The prince swallowed hard. “Where are you?” His eyes darted around, but nothing had changed. 

“Here.” The prince felt two hands gently rest on his shoulders, and he stopped breathing for a moment. He could still feel the tough tree bark against his back, and he knew that the tree was far too wide for someone to reach around… wasn’t it?

That was answered shortly thereafter when he felt, impossibly, the tree he had been leaning against push _forward_ against him, causing him to briefly stumble. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around, though he knew that it must be the creature somehow, some strange form of magic allowing it to slip between him and the tree, to pass through the tree, or…

Gently, he moved away so that the creature wasn’t touching him, enabling him to turn around, slowly, bracing himself for what he assumed would be a fearsome thing to behold. Instead, when he finally beheld the creature, he gasped: what he saw, rather than a large, monstrous, deadly creature, was what appeared, more or less, to be a man - or, at least, part of a man. His head was a tangle of unruly curls the same colour as the trees surrounding him, leaves caught in his hair - or were they growing there? His handsome face, his pale limbs and nimble, pointed fingers, and his torso all were very long, as though he had grown up with his whole body reaching for the heavens. His eyes were as bold and as green as the leaves above them both, and the prince could swear that he saw the shadows of the forest moving inside them.

The strangest thing about him was not his pointed fingernails or the leaves in his hair, but rather the fact that his body seemed to end at his waist, and that body seemed to be growing from the tree the prince had been leaning against. 

_But how?_ he wondered. _I have seen the creature move, and it was at the edge of the forest._

The prince took a deep breath and measured his words before speaking again. “I’m… sorry if I offend, but I know not what to call you. Since I saw you, I have been thinking of you as _the creature_ , but you appear to me to be a man, not some great beast of the forest. Do you have a name that I can call you?”

“Not in your tongue,” said the creature, smiling. “We have little use for such names, here.” 

“You don’t have something that other… other people refer to you by?”

The creature made a great show of looking around. “What other people…?”

“If you don’t speak to other people, how is it that you speak our language?”

“Ah,” the creature said. “Well, I can speak to every other animal, too, so… why not your kind?”

“I just don’t want to keep thinking of you as _the creature_ is all. It seems… rude, now that I’ve met you properly.”

“Yet, I am a creature. And so are you. Is that rude?”

The prince considered this. “I suppose you’re right… I am an animal and a creature, like you. I just wasn’t expecting...” he gestured, “something, no, some _one_ who looks like… like you.”

“What were you expecting?”

Furrowing his brow in concentration, the prince thought for a moment. “Some sort of great beast, I think, but… something that is kind inside, but looks frightening. I was still a little afraid when you touched me, because I did not know what you would do, but…” He looked the creature in his forest-green eyes. “I… I dreamed of you. I dreamed of you but I never saw your face, just your long, thin arms around me once. When I dreamed of you, you told me _do not be afraid._ ”

The creature held both hands out to the prince. “You have nothing to fear from me, prince.”

“You know that is what I am?” He stepped forward, hesitantly taking the creature’s hands in his.

_I expected his hands to be rougher, indelicate, like tree bark, but they are soft and warm,_ he thought. He realised, too, that he was now thinking of the creature as a _he_ rather than an _it_ , whether correctly or not.

“Of course. You come from the castle, and I know you are not the king. You dress in fabrics too fine to be a serving boy.” The creature squeezed the prince’s hands. “You are the prince of the castle. You might say that I am the prince of the woods. It is a truth, but it is not the type of name you were searching for, I think.”

_Prince of the woods._

The prince nodded slowly. “When… I first saw you, you were at the edge of the forest, and you were moving, or at least, you moved out of my sight. Yet now, you seem to be trapped within this tree. Can you come out of there? Or did my eyes mislead me...?”

“If you keep steady and hold my hands as you are now, I will show you.”

The prince held fast to the creature’s hands, stepping backward slowly as the creature moved forward, in a strange, fluid dance. Before the prince’s eyes, the creature stepped out of the tree as though it were nothing but air, freeing himself from its embrace to stand on two legs that weren’t entirely unlike human legs, save the twining, dark roots at the ends where feet would normally be, bits of bark growing up his legs to end in patches below the knees. 

Once the creature was standing free, the prince could see that he was built much the same as a human between his legs, with nothing covering him there, and he blushed and looked away. 

_He is… so much like a man, and yet so different. I don’t know what to think of him now that I’m standing so close to him,_ he thought. _I feel strange, like I’m waiting for something to happen, but I’m not sure what. I felt that way at the dance, too, but this time I_ want _it to happen._

“Are you all right?” asked the creature. “Your face has turned red.” He reached out with one hand to touch the prince’s cheek, causing him to blush further.

“I… I’m fine, I just…” The prince took a deep breath, trying to will away his embarrassment. “I guess I didn’t expect you to be _naked_ under there. Behind there. Outside the tree, I mean.”

The creature looked down at himself, confused. “I’m not sure what you mean by that. This is how I have always looked. Why do _you_ wear cloth on your body? I have always wondered that, honestly. The other animals do not.”

The prince thought about this. “You know… I’m not sure. I guess you’re right, humans are the only animals who see fit to clothe their bodies like this. But then, we don’t have fur to keep us warm in the winter.”

“Ah, but you wear them in the heat of summer, too. I have seen it. Even without parts that cover your arms and legs, you must suffer to be so warm.”

“I guess it’s just… something that’s… done. A sort of tradition. People… humans, I mean… can be very, well, uptight when it comes to seeing others without any clothing on.”

_A tradition, like throwing a huge party to find a princess to marry._

“But no one thinks it odd that other creatures do not wear clothes?”

“No, it would seem stranger, I think, for animals _to_ wear clothes. Except maybe for decoration, or for some other function, like a saddle on a horse for riding.”

The creature squinted. “Yet your bodies are natural, just as the other animals’ bodies are natural, just as mine is natural, too.”

“I… can’t really argue with that, but… um… I think I would feel strange without clothes, like people are looking at parts of me that maybe should only be seen by…” He stopped for a moment. “I don’t know. By someone you love.”

The creature tilted his head, curious. “That is an interesting tradition, then. Only showing your full self to someone you love.” He shook his head lightly, and the leaves in his hair swayed with his curls. “I do not think I could ever show anything less than my full self to anyone. I do not know how to be less.”

“I… well, I wouldn’t want you to be less than who you are, but I don’t think covering my body up makes me less of who I am, either, just that I don’t show it all at once. I’d be embarrassed if everyone could see all of me all of the time.”

“Is that why you turned red when you saw me? Because you could see all of me? You were embarrassed?”

The prince cleared his throat. “Well, I mean, not… not exactly, but in a way, yes. It’s not just that you don’t wear clothes, but more that… that your…” He glanced down between the creature’s legs just long enough for his cheeks to turn pink again. “Your uh… organ.”

“Oh. I see. You are embarrassed to see _that_ part, but not my hands or my legs or my chest?” The creature squinted again, confused. “But they are all part of the same whole body.”

“I know, I know, it’s just that… well, I mean… assuming that _you_ would use it for what _humans_ would use it for, that’s why I, um, said that about only showing your body to someone you love. Because if we show our… parts to one another, usually it means that we are about to…”

“Mate?” the creature finished for him. 

“That is a word for it, yes, I guess, but I might say something more like, um… _having intercourse_ , or even _sex_. But mostly I try not to talk about it at all.”

“Does it make you… _embarrassed?_ ”

“Yes. I just… yes.”

“Humans are very peculiar.”

“I guess we are.” The prince smiled shyly. “You have a very different perspective from everyone else I’ve ever spoken to.”

“Is that bad?”

“No, I like it. I get very tired of the people at court. You’re… more interesting to talk to.”

“Thank you. Oh, and thank you for the food. I don’t know what some of it was but it tasted very good.”

“You’re welcome. Would you… mind if I came out here and talked to you sometimes? I’ve never had a lot of friends, and I don’t have my brother to talk to now that he has gotten married and moved somewhere else.”

“I would like that very much.”

The prince looked up at the sun’s position in the sky. “I should probably get back to the castle, before Mother and Father send someone out to look for me.”

“When will you come back?”

“Tomorrow morning, around this same time, if that’s all right with you.”

“I will be here. I promise.”


	4. Chapter 4

Meandering back to the castle, the prince felt so light and free that he couldn’t stop smiling, unburdened, however briefly, from the pressure of choosing a bride for the first time in days.

Halfway back to the castle, he realised that he’d left the basket behind again, and he idly wondered if it would be returned to his window as it had been the last time. He didn’t speak to the doorman, just nodded as he was let in, and he rushed up to his room without incident to change out of his travelling clothes. Carelessly tossing them aside, he climbed into his bed to rest for a while before changing into his evening clothes for supper.

He stared at the ceiling, the pine branch the creature had given him barely in vision, and he smiled again, warm feelings overcoming him, until he fell asleep there, lying on top of his covers, the setting sun slowly darkening his window.

In his dreams, he was running. The sun was shining down through the swaying boughs, the air was abuzz with excitement, and he was running. Nothing was chasing him, nor was he giving chase; rather, he was running for the sheer joy of it. He was light, and free, and happy, and without a care for castle drama or political marriage. The ground was mossy and warm beneath his bare feet, and he knew the forest so well he was able to anticipate exactly where he’d need to duck beneath branches and jump over twisted, gnarled old roots.

After a while, though, even he had to stop, leaning up against a sturdy old tree, feeling the thick grooves of the bark under his hand. He felt the warmth of a hand on his upper back, sharp nails briefly grazing his skin, and he turned around to look, the creature’s gentle smile causing him to smile in return. The creature’s dark curls tumbled over his fair shoulders, and his skin sparkled with the faint sheen of sweat, though he did not seem as out of breath as the prince.

Taking a step closer, the roots at the end of the creature’s leg tore free of the earth, then burrowed into the dirt again when he planted it nearer to the prince. The prince wondered for a moment if it hurt the creature to move that way, but the thought left his mind when the creature tilted his chin up with one sharp finger, the sensation almost, but not quite, painful. Tenderly, the creature leaned toward him, lowering his lashes, and the prince suddenly realised what was about to happen. A soft sigh escaped his mouth as the creature’s berry-stained lips grew closer, closer, until they were so close he could feel the creature’s breathing, and…

He woke with a start, his heart aflutter, to a loud, intermittent pounding on his bedroom door.

He sat up in bed, briefly running a thumb over his lips, the impending, interrupted kiss  _ much _ more urgent on his mind than the reason he’d been woken up. His body felt aflame, far too hot and too aroused to even consider answering the door in that state, as though he’d dreamed of doing something far more intimate than kissing. Instead, he scrambled to crawl underneath the covers, still wearing nothing but his underclothes, and shouted in a clear, yet shaky, voice for the caller to open the door.

It was a kitchen maid, and he blushed to think of her seeing him in such a state, though he was hidden well enough beneath his covers that she must not know anything was amiss.

“I’m sorry, m’lord, only I didn’t know you were asleep. Your mother and father request your presence at supper, and they wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling sick again, since you didn’t come at the usual time. Should I tell them you’ll be down, or…?”

He cleared his throat, trying to sound steady, though he felt far from it. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep, really. Tell them I’ll be down. Thank you. Please close the door so I may dress for supper.”

“Of course, m’lord.” She briefly curtseyed, then shut the door quickly and tightly behind her as she left.

The prince tried to think of something, anything, to get his mind off the creature and act a suitable supper guest for his parents, but even as he got dressed, he caught himself stopping every few minutes to remember elements of his very vivid dream.

_ Soft, dark curls. Thick bark. Sun-bright smile. Sharp, pointed nails.  _

_ Berry-stained lips. _

It took more effort than usual to fasten himself into his trousers, and he had  _ never _ been more grateful for the length of his tunic.

He ran his comb through his pale hair, tangled from sleep and his forest walk, and carefully made his way down to meet his parents for supper.

“Ah, there you are, son. Was worried about you. She said you were asleep. You feeling all right, now?” said his father.

The prince couldn’t help but smile, genuinely, and this did not go unnoticed.

“You seem to be in much better spirits, dear,” said his mother. “Have you figured things out, then?”

His cheeks went pink. He hadn’t even realised he was smiling. “I… think so, Mother. I’m getting there, anyway. I think in another day or two I’ll definitely be ready to…” He considered how to express what he was trying to say. “I think that I might be… ready to fall in love. Or at least give it a try.” He looked down at the table, still smiling, surprised at the words that actually came out.

_ I don’t know what this feeling is. I can’t explain it to them. I’ve never felt anything like this before. The creature makes me feel like something is inside me, aching to get out.  _

The king slapped the table loudly, laughing. “Glad to hear it, son. You just say the word, and we’ll make wedding plans right away. All you have to do is tell us which beauty caught your eye, and we’ll send word to her parents.”

_ I think… I think a beauty caught my eye, but it wasn’t any of those princesses. _

“Of course, Father.”

The prince smiled into his supper, and the rest of the meal was eaten in blessed silence.


	5. Chapter 5

The prince slept through the night with ease, with no dreams that he could recall. He crept down to the kitchens early before breakfast, to get an idea of what sorts of treats he could bring to the creature, but found only a few people working there instead of the usual bustling crew.

“Where has everyone gone?” he asked one of the kitchen girls. 

“They’re about to go to market, m’lord,” she replied. “If you have anything special you want them to get, they haven’t left yet. I think they’re likely to be out readying the horses.”

The prince thanked her, rushing off to find the rest of the kitchen staff, who were indeed talking to the hostler, who was preparing the horses for the day’s ride and fastening them to the carriage. He moved to get their attention, but was embarrassed to realise that he did not know any of their names, only their titles, and sometimes not even that. He waved, instead, hoping one of them would see them, since it seemed rude just to shout.

“...Can we help you, m’lord?” asked the cook. “We’ll be starting breakfast when we get back, don’t you worry.”

“No, no, I’m not worried about that,” the prince said, shaking his head. “I wanted to know if I could… maybe go with you.”

The cook side-eyed him. “Any particular reason? On’y your lot don’t usually want to hang out with the likes of us, you know?”

“I… I’m looking for a present, maybe. But I don’t know what that might be, yet, so I’ve got to look for myself.”

“Ah. Got a lady you’re fond of, then, finally? I know your parents have been worryin’ about that.” She paused. “Hear things in the kitchens, you do.”

The prince blushed deeply. “Something like that.”

“Well, we’ve need of rice and spices and any interesting fruits we might find there, it shouldn’t be a long trip. I don’t see why not.”

The kitchen staff piled into the carriage, and the prince climbed up beside the driver so he could enjoy the view, as he didn’t often get to leave the castle grounds. The driver scooted over for him wordlessly, though he glanced strangely at the prince as he sat down.

The prince’s heart quickened as they headed out on the road, passing by the edge of the forest. His eyes were drawn to it, though he did not catch a single glimpse of the creature as they rode, and he glanced back more than once after they had passed the last of the trees. 

It didn’t take terribly long to reach the city from the castle, and from the edge of the city to the city centre where the market was held. The driver made his way to one of the side streets, where he would wait for them until they were done. The prince hopped down from the driver’s seat, walking over to the market with the kitchen staff, his short travelling cloak around his shoulders.

“We’re off to the other side of the market, lad, where the food stalls are. If it’s a gift you’re after, you probably want to stay at this end. We’ll fetch you on the way back to the carriage, just don’t wander off and get lost. We haven’t got time to run round after you, y’know,” said the cook. 

The prince nodded. “I understand. I don’t want to have to try and walk home from here, don’t worry. I won’t go far.”

They left him there to peruse the stalls. There were fine silks from afar, perfumes of all sorts, and many types of pottery. None of these seemed satisfactory, though, as a gift for the creature. He was smelling exotic perfume oils when a glow from across the street caught his eye. Setting down the vial of perfume, he slowly made his way to the stall the glow was coming from. 

The stall was dark, and the prince did not understand what was happening from a distance, but as he moved closer he understood what the glow was: it was a glassblower’s shop, and he was working. Hypnotised, the prince watched the turning of the pipe as the glassblower formed the glass into something new, though he could not quite tell what it was until the artisan shaped the sides, pressing it against something pointed, and it began to look more like a narrow, thin vase, similar to the ones his mother kept on the dining table to hold cut flowers from the garden at supper time.

He was so taken by the glow of the glass and the turning of the pipe that it took him several moments to even notice the glassblower.

He had a long, delicate face, with a scruffy beard that looked less as though he’d tried to grow it on purpose and more like he hadn’t bothered to shave it. His frame was thin and willowy beneath his dark brown apron, and his hair was a mass of dark, unruly curls pulled back in a hasty bun at the back of his neck. His slender fingers twirled the pipe expertly, and the prince was startled to notice that his eyes were a deep moss green behind the reflection of the glowing glass.

When the glassblower made eye contact with him, the prince couldn’t help but look away, his heart in his throat.

“Can I help you, sir?” he asked the prince, his voice quiet and steady, with an accent that didn’t sound quite local.

The prince blushed deeply, stammering. “Looking for a… a gift. For a new friend. One I am very, uh...” He cleared his throat. “Fond of.”

The glassblower stood up from his stool, carefully setting down the vase he had crafted, so that it could cool upright. He was taller than the prince, but perhaps not so tall as the creature. He stared at the prince, considering him for a long moment before speaking again.

Delicately, he asked the prince, “Is your new friend, who you are so fond of, a lady?” Then, his voice quieter, “Or is your friend, perhaps, a man?”

The prince’s eyes went wide, and the blush drained from his features. 

_I don’t know what to say. He saw right through me, somehow, like I was one of his glass creations._

_But he is not wrong, is he? The creature is a man, or something like a man, anyway. And this man looks... very much like him... Can it be a mere coincidence? I can hardly stand to look at him._

Placing both hands on the wooden windowsill to steady himself, the prince was startled when he felt the glassblower’s hand atop one of his own, still warm from being so near the molten glass. He looked down at his hand, then back up at the glassblower, who smiled gently.

“Don’t worry,” he said, simply. “I will help you.” 

The prince felt a dull ache in his chest as the other man pulled his hand away.

The glassblower cleared everything he had been working on from his bench, then, and drew a new project onto his pipe from the furnace. The prince could not look away as the man turned and molded and shaped the glass, and what had been a round blob eventually drew off into tendrils, then back around again, over and over, until by the time he was done, the prince realised what the glassblower had made: the perfect image of a tree, from roots to branches to leaves.

He swallowed heavily when the glassblower set it upright to cool, his eyes starting to tear up. 

_It’s lovely, and watching him work is like magic. But how did he know…?_

Pulling a small purse from the side of his belt, the prince rummaged through it. “How… how much would I owe you for such a thing?” He furrowed his brow, frustrated, as he rarely ever needed to pay for anything, both because he was the prince and because he hardly ever left the castle grounds.

Leaning forward over the window sill, the glassblower smiled. “For you? It’s yours for a kiss.”

The prince nearly fainted, though the glassblower’s arms were long enough and his catlike grace fast enough to catch him through the window. “Oh... for goodness’ sake, I was only joking, don’t fall…”

 _His arms… oh, God, his arms are stronger than they look…_ was the last thing the prince remembered thinking before he finally _did_ faint, and even the glassblower’s strong arms weren’t quite strong enough to hold him up.


	6. Chapter 6

When the prince came to his senses, he was travelling in the back of the carriage, the cook switching places with him and sitting up front next to the driver. One of the kitchen girls called forward to the cook when she saw him begin to stir.

“He’s waking, now! Seems he’s not too bad off after all!” 

The cook looked back over her shoulder. “Aye, gals, sit the lad up straight, but give him room.” She leaned back toward him, over the short partition. “You doin’ fine, there? We were all worried for you, or maybe just worried yer parents would tan all our hides for letting you go with. Lucky the strapping young lad at the glassblower’s shop was there to catch you, innit?”

The prince, barely awake, still managed to blush at the thought of the glassblower. He cleared his throat, adjusting himself in his seat. “Am I… did I… what happened?”

“Can’t say as for sure,” said the cook, “the glassblower said you were talkin’ with him and then suddenly you were nearly on the ground, like you suddenly just… had a bad turn, like. Wasn’t sure what was wrong, so he sat you on a bench in his workshop ‘til he saw us come past again and got our attention.”

The prince bit his lip and nodded. "That sounds about right, I think. I don't know what happened, I've never done that. It was like the my legs just fell out from under me. I think I’m all right now." 

_ I can't say I blame him for not telling them what happened right before. _

“Oh, forgot to say. He left you a little brown package, didn’t say what was in it. Said it was  _ on him. _ Something you two talked about, like.” The cook pointed to the floor of the carriage between the prince’s feet.

The prince glanced down.  _ It must be the glass tree. _ “I’ll have to thank him, if I ever see him again. Perhaps you can thank him for me on your next trip to market.”

“Aye, I can do that.”

Gently picking up the package, a small box wrapped in brown cloth with string, the prince settled it in his lap, wrapping his arms around it, a small smile on his face. 

_ I feel a little warmer just holding this and remembering what he said to me. _

The prince focused his eyes on the scenery outside the carriage, but nodded. “Thank you.”

He didn’t speak again for the rest of the carriage ride, though he did find his eyes darting toward the woods as they passed, just as he had the first time.

_ I wonder if he does not show himself because there are others around? _

Smiling to himself, feeling a little warm, he leapt down off the carriage as soon as they arrived back at the castle, hugging his package tight to his chest and darting up to his room to unwrap it, thankful that he managed to avoid running into anyone on his way there. He pushed the door shut, eager to see the glassblower’s gift. Untying the bow, he pulled the string away, then the cloth, and opened the thin wooden box.

Inside was the most beautiful, delicate glass tree, with gnarled roots at the base and branches reaching for the sky, the deep green glass turning clear as it swirled from bottom to top. On one of the branches there was a tiny black bird, hard to miss against the clear branches. It was perfect. He set it on the small table next to his bedroom door, stepping back to admire it. The prince nodded to himself, smiling again, and left his bedroom to face his parents at breakfast, which he felt must  _ surely _ be ready.

“It’s about time you came down, son, we’ve been waiting,” said his father with a hearty grin. “The girls in the kitchen tell us you took a little trip with them this morning!”

_...I was really hoping they wouldn’t, but… _

The prince cleared his throat. “Yes, Father. I don’t… often get a chance to go to market.”

“What made you want to do that? We’ve got everything you could need here, after all, son.”

Speaking carefully, the prince did not look at his father when he answered. “I wanted to have something specially crafted. A… gift. For...” 

_ Even though it hurts, I cannot bring myself to lie, to say ‘girl’ or ‘bride’ or ‘princess’. _

“Ah! For your bride-to-be, yes? Very good.”

The prince made a noncommittal noise that could be taken by his father as affirmation.

“That’s very sweet of you, dear,” said his mother. “Would that your father had done the same, I might have warmed up to him even sooner.” She smiled at her husband. “Whatever it is, I am  _ sure _ she will love it.”

The prince blushed lightly, wondering what the creature would think of the glass tree. “I hope so.”


	7. Chapter 7

After breakfast was finished, the prince packed a few sweet rolls and small fruits into his basket, as he had the previous several days. He nestled the glass tree into the basket, packing it in gently, the other things surrounding it, so it wouldn’t move too much on the walk. The doorman had gotten used to his daily walks, letting him out wordlessly as he approached to ask, basket in hand. His feet carried him along the same path he’d walked before, his eyes darting around for any glimpse of the creature as he approached the forest, but seeing no sign of him.

Once he had gotten far enough into the forest that he could no longer see the entrance, he set his basket down, clearing his throat.

“Are… are you here? I’ve brought you more sweet bread, and a gift besides.”

A voice from nearby whistled lightly, not quite a bird’s call but something similar. “I am here. Look behind you.”

The prince whirled around to see the creature, smiling, leaning out from behind a rather sturdy elm tree. He stepped away from the tree, looking just as the prince had remembered, from the curls atop his head to the bark and roots that defined his lower legs. As the creature walked closer, the prince tried his hardest not to stare between his legs, but looking at his face didn’t seem to lessen the emotions he was feeling.

“I… I had something made specially for you. I hope you like it.” He delicately pulled the tree up out of his basket, letting the food fall back into the basket, and proudly showed it to the creature, his cheeks pink. “I watched the man make it. I didn’t even tell him about you, but it was like he... knew somehow.”

The creature looked at the glass tree from afar, at first, then bend down to look at it more closely, his eyes squinting a little, brow furrowed in concentration. 

“It is very nice, to be sure, but… what is it for?”

“Oh, uh… it’s a glass tree, it’s not… really  _ for _ anything, I guess. It’s just meant to be pretty. There are a lot of things like this in the castle, just for decoration. Well, not anything quite as  _ lovely _ as this, I don’t think, but things with no purpose other than to look at them and appreciate their beauty.”

Considering this, the creature stood upright again. “I don’t mean to be rude or ungrateful, but I am not sure what to do with such a gift.” He frowned, resting a hand on the prince’s wrist. “I am afraid it would only break if you left it here with me. I don’t have a… a  _ house _ or even a flat surface to keep it on.”

The prince looked down, embarrassed, when he realised the creature was right. 

_ Of course he would have no use for such a thing. It’s not even a vessel you could put something in, it doesn’t have a purpose other than sitting there and looking nice. Just like me. _

Tears formed in his eyes, threatening to fall, and he slowly bent down and put the glass tree back in the basket, determined not to let the creature see him cry. 

“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t…” the prince said, trembling, unable to meet the creature’s gaze, “I didn’t even think of that. You’re right, it was a terrible idea for a present, I should never have presumed that, that you would…”

The creature held both hands out to the prince, concerned. “Come closer to me. Please, you could not have known…”

Unsure, the prince placed his hands lightly in the creature’s, stepping closer to him, and the creature pulled him closer than that, wrapping his arms tight around the prince’s shoulders, resting his head atop the prince’s fair hair. “You did nothing wrong, and it was very sweet of you to bring me a gift at all.” The prince hesitantly put his arms around the creature’s waist and leaned against him, already feeling warmer, less sad, his worries gently flowing from him.

“‘M still sorry…” the prince mumbled against the creature’s chest. “I’ll do better next time, I promise.”

“You have nothing you need to be sorry for. Please don’t fret.”

The creature pulled back a little, looking down at the prince, squeezing him tightly once before loosening his arms. The prince took a deep breath, leaning back and looking up at the creature, his eyes still wet with tears.

All at once, he remembered the dream he’d had, and the creature’s berry-stained lips. He gasped, looking away, the memory distracting him from his sadness. 

“Are you all right?”

“I just… I was just, uh, remembering a dream that I had.... I dreamed of you again.”

“Did you?” The creature smiled. “And what happened in the dream?”

The prince cleared his throat, still not able to look the creature in the eyes. “I was running through the forest, not being chased nor chasing anything, but running for the sheer joy of it. After a while, I stopped to rest, and I leaned up against a tree, and then suddenly you were there, and… you pulled your roots free from the earth to step closer to me, and then you…” He blushed deeply, unsure if was going to be able to finish. 

“And then I…?” The creature tilted his head, curious.

“And then you… uh… well, then, you were  _ going _ to…” the prince took a deep, sudden breath, letting the rest out in a rush before he could stop himself, “and  _ then  _ you were going to kiss me but I woke up because someone was knocking on my door.” He bit his lip once he was finished.

“Ah,” said the creature. “I see.” Gently, he tilted the prince’s chin upward with one pointed finger, so that the prince could not avoid his gaze.

_ Just like in my dream. _

“Well,” the creature continued quietly, his face so close to the prince’s that the prince could feel the faint tickle of his breath, “would you like me to kiss you, then?”

The prince’s eyes went wide, and he paused for a moment, his heart beating hard in his chest.

“More than anything,” he whispered, and in that moment, he realised that it was true.

The creature nodded softly, and in an instant, his lips were pressed against the prince’s, and the prince was kissing him in return, and they held fast to one another for several heartbeats more before parting.

_ His lips are soft and he is warm and he smells like sunlight and pine and raindrops on wet dirt and… _

Leaning back, the creature squeezed the prince’s shoulders, his sharp nails digging in like the pricking of thorns, but only for a moment. “Was it everything you had dreamed it would be?”

The prince could only nod, speechless, and the creature pulled him close again.

“I’m glad,” said the creature, “for I very much enjoyed it, and would like to do so again. I think, though, that you had probably better get back to your castle, before someone comes looking for you.”

Sighing against the creature’s chest, the prince nodded. “I don’t want to leave you, but you aren’t wrong, though I would prefer not to go back at all, but rather stay here with you.”

The creature kissed the top of his head. “You are always welcome here. Never forget that.”

“I won’t,” said the prince, and he hugged the creature tight before reluctantly letting go. “Please do keep the other things I brought you, though,” he said, gathering the fruits and pastries in his hands to give to the creature, who took them with a smile.

“I hope to see you again soon, then.”

The prince blushed. “You will.”

With that, he left the forest the way he had come, though he could not help but to glance behind him a time or two. When he returned to his bedroom, he pulled his curtain aside, and set the glass tree upon his wide window sill, admiring it, his heart full to the brim.


	8. Chapter 8

The moon was bright and nearly full when the prince woke up in the middle of the night. He lay in bed a while, listening to the nighttime sounds coming from outside his window.

Glancing over, he caught sight of the glass tree, the moonlight glinting off its branches just so.

Quietly, he rose from his bed, padding over to the window, but despite the moon shining down, he could not see much far below him.

_I have never truly seen him in the moonlight, only felt him in my dreams._

He thought for a moment, leaning against the edge of the window sill, before going to his wardrobe and changing into something light and comfortable, leaving his shoes off.

He left the basket behind, since he had nothing to bring with him, and slowly opened the heavy door to his bedroom, tiptoeing out into the hall. He took a deep breath, moving toward the front door of the castle a few steps at a time, very aware of his surroundings, listening constantly for any sounds that indicated movement. 

When he got to the door, the doorman was nowhere in sight.

_Of course. He must be sleeping. I hope he isn’t here when I return._

_If I return._

He managed the door, heavier than the one to his bedroom, with some difficulty, then walked across the lawn toward the forest, the grasses and short-leaved plants tickling his feet. At the entrance of the woods, he stopped, gazing into the trees.

_It seems darker than ever I could imagine. I should have brought a lamp, or at least a candle, but no time to go back now._

He stepped into the forest, his bare feet aware of every stone and twig on the forest floor, lightly touching every tree he came close to as he walked, only stopping once he could no longer see the way out. Looking around, nothing seemed quite familiar in the dark. 

Timidly, he took a few more steps forward, and then he felt something brush against the small of his back, causing him to jump, startled.

“Shh… it’s me. Do not be afraid.”

The prince relaxed when he heard the creature’s voice, turning to wrap his arms around him, his heart racing still. 

“You say _do not be afraid_ , yet you’re the one who usually causes me such a fright,” said the prince, with a gasp. The creature kissed his forehead, stroking his hair.

“I never mean to frighten you, but I’m afraid I can’t help that. It seems to be a… a side effect of who and what I am.” The creature frowned. “Sometimes it’s useful, as when I have to remove distasteful entities from the forest -- you know, hunters, woodchoppers, that sort of thing -- but it happens even when I don’t mean it to.”

“I’m sorry…” the prince said, resting his head against the creature’s chest. “You aren’t truly scary, not as most people would think of it, especially now that I’ve gotten to know you, but you are so quiet when you come up behind me that I’m often startled.”

The creature placed one of his long, sharp hands on the back of the prince’s head, cradling him gently. “Why have you come here so late at night? Usually I see you long after sunrise. Is everything all right?”

The prince sighed. “I’ve just, I’ve… been thinking…” 

“You came here to think?”

“No, no… I mean… if I wanted to… wanted to _stay…_ could I do that?”

“Stay? Here in the forest, you mean?”

The prince gave a small nod.

“Would your family not miss you?”

“They probably would,” he agreed, “but I’m not certain that I care about that, considering the life they are trying to force me into.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I guess I never… I never told you, have I…? I was too…” the prince bit his lip, thinking of the right words, “charmed by your presence to think about my other life, until I left the forest.”

“That is very kind of you to say,” said the creature. “I do not think anyone has ever spoken of me like that before.”

The prince blushed. “You _are_ charming, though. In any case… my parents very much wish for me to marry a princess. They threw a grand ball, a _party_ in my honour, and invited many, many unmarried princesses and other royalty of various names, to see if I would choose one to be my bride.”

“And you did not find one suitable to marry?”

Shaking his head, the prince continued, “No, and at first I thought the problem was me, or just that I didn’t know any of them, but…”

“But…?”

The prince tilted his head upward, but did not meet the creature’s eyes, his voice quieter. “But I don’t think I… well… I don’t think I’m _interested_ in marrying _any_ woman, princess or not. I don’t… I mean… I like _you_ more than I like any _princess._ ” He blushed. “And I didn’t make the connection until I went to the market, and… the artisan who made the glass tree that I wanted to give to you, he was so… so handsome I could hardly _talk_ to him. He looked a lot like _you,_ really, if you were just a man like me.”

The creature blinked slowly. “Are you saying that you wish to make me your bride…?”

The prince’s hand flew to his mouth, covering his soft laughter. “No, no, I just… that’s not how it… that’s not what I meant!”

“Then… what are you saying? I think you’ve confused me.”

“Just that… I think that I like _you_ in the way I’m _supposed_ to like princesses. And that I want to stay here in the forest with you, else I’ll have to make a decision soon, and I’ll _have_ to marry some girl I hardly know, and then I’ll _never_ be happy.” He looked down, frowning. 

The creature leaned back, tilting the prince’s chin back up toward him. “Are you _sure?_ If you leave your comfortable life, there in the castle, you can never go back, you know.”

The prince rose up on his tiptoes, trembling; lightly, shyly, he brushed his lips against the creature’s. 

“I know.”


	9. Chapter 9

Sneaking back into the castle, carefully, slowly, the prince made his way back to his room without incident, closing the bedroom door and climbing back into bed without changing his clothes, his bare feet darkened with dirt, to sleep the rest of the night.

He woke in the morning, not long after sunrise, earlier than usual, feeling at peace with himself for the first time since the ball. He moved slowly, with purpose, getting dressed for what he felt would be his last day in the castle. Once he was ready for breakfast, he stood at the window for a long time, smiling, watching the clouds go by, his hand lightly resting upon the glass tree. The prince was distracted by his view for so long that, despite him having likely woken earlier than his parents, he was interrupted by a knock at the door that he knew must be a call to come downstairs. He shook his head, answering the door. It was a different kitchen girl from the one who had woken him from sleep a few days prior, and she was startled, her hand still raised as if to knock a second time. 

“Oh! You’re awake, I was asked to wake you for…”

“For breakfast. I know. I’ve been ready, I just lost track of time.” The prince smiled, more confident than he’d ever felt, and the kitchen girl went pink in the cheeks. “I’ll follow you down, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, m’lord.”

He walked some distance behind her, though he kept having to stop, his longer stride threatening to overtake hers. When he got to the dining room, he pulled his own chair out, not waiting for anyone else to pull it for him, and beamed at his father.

“Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother.”

“Ah! There’s the son I remember. You’re looking healthier by the day.”

The prince nodded. “I definitely feel much better today. I hope we’ve a big breakfast, because I’m positively _famished._ ”

His mother laughed. “Now, you sound like your father.”

Upon hearing that the prince had regained his appetite, the kitchen staff brought all manner of sweet rolls and eggs and fried meats out to the three of them.

The prince mostly stayed quiet as he ate, though he ate a considerable amount, only responding if his parents spoke to him.

 _I’m going to enjoy all I can today, because I don’t know what I’m going to eat once I leave here._

The thought worried him, but at the same time he felt excitement at the idea of starting a new life outside the castle walls.

“So, did your future bride enjoy the present you had crafted specially for her?” asked his mother, delicately.

“Yes, Mother,” the prince responded, lying to her for the first, and perhaps last, time in his life.

“Oh! That’s lovely, then. When shall we send out the invitations?”

“I think…” he took a deep breath. “I think you will be able to make an announcement publicly tomorrow, Mother.”

_Tomorrow. Tomorrow I will be gone. They will still probably make an announcement, but it will not be about a wedding._

His father lightly smacked the table with joy. “Ah, that’s wonderful. I knew you’d come around. You simply _must_ tell me about your bride, son… ah, I should say _bride-to-be_ but that last bit will come _off_ soon enough, eh?”

The prince cleared his throat. “Well… you see, um… _very_ tall and slender, a mane of curly brown hair, and the most _beautiful_ moss-green eyes…” He rubbed his face. “And the sweetest, loveliest, rosy pink lips, like I’ve never seen on anyone before.”

“Oh ho! A suitable bride for our son, wouldn’t you say?” The prince’s father grinned widely at his wife, who just smiled and nodded.

His cheeks hot, the prince kept eating, trying hard not to look at his parents, lest they catch him in a lie, even though they’d have no way of knowing.

_They seem satisfied. At least now I won’t be bothered much before I… before I leave._

“All right, Mother, Father, I think it is time for me to take my leave, as I am more than satiated.” The prince smiled brightly at his parents.

“We’ll see you later, then, dear,” said his mother, still picking at her plate daintily. 

“Of course, Mother.”

The prince scooted his chair back, inclining his head toward both his parents, and made his way back up to his room. He rested there for a moment, watching the clouds, before steeling himself for the packing he knew he’d have to do.

 _The basket won’t be large enough, and I don’t dare ask anyone for a travelling bag, but…_

He pulled the smallest blanket from his bedclothes, folding it the long way, and laid it down on the bed. 

“I only want to take with me what I need, so… what do I _need_?” he whispered to himself. 

He picked out a few sets of comfortable clothes, folding them up and laying them out on the blanket. He considered that it might get colder as the seasons moved forward, so he put some woolen socks, an overcoat, and another pair of shoes on top of that. 

_I don’t know how I’ll shelter myself from the rain and snow, but as long as I have his arms to run to, I know I’ll be fine._

He heard walking in the hallway, so he quickly rolled up the blanket and tucked it under his bed, just in time for a knock at the door.

The prince cleared his throat. “Yes?”

“The kitchen was just wondering if you’d be needing sweets for your walk. Cook _did_ notice you taking them, you know, so we made extra, and you’ve gone every day since your party, so we just thought, well...”

He opened the door to see one of the kitchen girls. “Oh, I’m… I’m not going for a walk just now, I think, but thank you just the same. I wouldn’t mind taking them for later, in case I feel like going after our mid-day meal.”

_Sweet rolls are the easiest food to take with me, so I’ll keep them just in case._

She held up a small basket without a handle, the sweet rolls still warm, wrapped in a cloth napkin.

“Thank you,” he said to her. “Please tell Cook thank you from me, also.”

“Of course,” she replied, with a short curtsy, and then she was gone. 

_I think I’ll miss Cook and her kitchen girls more than I’ll miss my parents. They certainly seem to pay more attention to what I_ actually _want and need._

The second meal of the day went much like the first, with the Prince eating heartily and his parents pleased by their son’s supposed change of heart. Afterward, he stopped in the kitchen to ask for more food from Cook: some dried meat and other savoury things that he thought he might miss in the forest.

Cook eyed him. “How long you planning on walking, then? Only I feel as though I sent up enough for you this morning, didn’t I?”

He smiled. “You did, but it was all sweets. I thought I’d beg a bit of variety, if you don’t mind.”

“Just don’t you leave it sitting around. All manner of creatures’ll be comin’ for more if you let ‘em.” She waved a wooden spoon in warning.

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I won’t. I promise.”

 _I only plan on sharing this food with_ one _creature._

When he returned to his room, he left the new food on the table with the sweet rolls from earlier, leaving them until last. He rolled the blanket up as tightly as he could, and tied it with a lengthy cloth belt that had been part of one of his more elegant winter dressing gowns, wrapping it in both directions to secure it well. Tilting his head and considering it, he threaded a leather belt through the center of the cloth one, fastening it into a loop so that he could carry it easier when he left.

_That’s that, then. I’m only bringing what I can carry, and I can’t come back once I’ve left._

The prince rearranged the sweet and savoury food Cook had given him into his handled basket, the one he’d brought on his walks in the forest, and he left it on the table so it was ready for him to grab later. He tucked the rolled up blanket beneath the table, pushing it back against the wall so that no one would notice it should anyone peek in his room while he wasn’t inside.

_I should rest now, so that I don’t sleep through the night after supper. They’ll wake me up anyway, if I don’t get up in time._

Despite his nervousness, he fell asleep easily and fast, a light and dreamless sleep, enough only to refresh him a little. He was awoken by a loud knock, and he didn’t rise from the bed before shouting at the door that he’d be down shortly. 

He yawned and stretched, slipping his house shoes back on and shuffling downstairs for the third meal of the day, which went much like the first two, though he didn’t eat nearly as much, since he didn’t want to make himself sleepy.

_I thought I would feel more emotional about the last meal I’m sharing with my parents, but I… I feel more excited about what’s to come than I do about my time here coming to an end._

When the meal was over, he quietly returned to his bedroom, pretending to get ready for bed, biding his time until the rest of the castle was asleep. The sun set not long after, and as much as he was ready to go, he knew he had to wait a little while longer, since if he was caught leaving, he would never be able to explain himself. 

For what seemed to him far too long, the prince stared out the window at the moon and the stars, his heart beating out of his chest with anticipation, and he watched, and he waited until it was time.


	10. Chapter 10

The prince waited as long as he felt he could wait, and then he waited a little longer. 

_ I have to be sure everyone is asleep. I got lucky the last time I left after dark, but this time is more important. _

And then, his heart told him that it was time.

He pulled the makeshift knapsack over his shoulder, picking up his basket in his other hand, and slowly opened the door, willing it not to creak. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the room that had been all he had known.

At the last minute, the prince noticed the glass tree, still sitting on his windowsill, and he tucked it gently into his basket. 

Barefoot, he tiptoed into the hallway, listening to make sure there were no sounds of movement before he made his way toward the door that he always left through, knowing from his previous night excursion that the doorman would be gone and likely asleep, and so it was.

The prince moved quietly over the lawn, the damp grass tickling his feet - had it rained? - and turned to look one last time up at the castle he had called home, seeming less like a towering structure of protection and more like something heavy and oppressive that he was glad to be leaving behind.

He entered the forest, and the feel of the cool leaf-littered ground on his bare feet felt comforting in a way he couldn’t explain, and didn’t have to.

The farther he walked into the forest, the farther he was from the castle, the more relief he felt, and he kept walking until he felt like he should stop, setting his pack and his basket down next to a tall, gnarled tree root.

Quietly, the prince spoke. “Are you here?” He glanced around, but saw nothing yet. He rested his hand against the tree, leaning against it. “I’ve come to stay.”

“I’m here,” said a voice in the dark. “I have been waiting, wondering if you would truly come.”

“I couldn’t stay away,” the prince whispered, trembling only slightly. “I missed you.” He gestured down at the basket. “I brought you some more sweets, but I didn’t know what there would be to eat here in the forest, so I brought other things too. I’ll… have to learn, I guess.”

“I will gladly teach you,” said the creature, still hidden from view. “Will you come to me?”

“I can’t see you, though, and it’s dark,” said the prince, frowning.

“Follow my voice.”

Nodding briefly, the prince walked in the direction of the creature’s voice, altering his path each time he heard the creature speak.

“This way. You’re almost to me.”

The prince reached a thick, dark tree, and before he knew it, the creature’s arms and torso emerged, pulling him close, delighting him. The creature bent down to kiss the prince, albeit briefly, and still holding tight to him, the creature stepped forth from the trunk, his own roots pulling free from the tree’s.

“Why did you not show yourself at first?” murmured the prince into the creature’s shoulder.

“You’ll need to learn to navigate in the dark, here. It was not too early to start learning, if you are staying here with me.”

The prince nodded slowly, leaning against the creature. “I… I’m here, but I’m not sure what to do now.”

“I suppose we will have to find you a place to keep your things until we can secure you a shelter of sorts. I don’t live in a place like that, as you know. When I sleep, I become one with the trees.”

“Were you sleeping when I came here?”

“Yes, I sleep often. It helps me recharge, and I can gain energy along with the tree I have merged with, when the sun is bright. When it is night time, there is very little for me to do.”

“Is that why you’re always hiding when I’ve come to find you?”

“Yes. And yet, the sound of your voice has always roused me from sleep.”

The prince blushed in the dark.

“I think I know a place where you can stay, for now. There is a great tree, deeper in the woods, that has a hollow section on one side large enough to admit a person.” The creature took one of the prince’s hands and kissed it. “Gather your things and follow me.”

Nodding again, the prince picked up his basket and his pack and followed the creature, whose steps were the creak and groan of his roots plodding along, slowly, but faster than the prince might have thought. When they reached the tree, the creature showed the prince the side where the dark hollow was located, guiding his hands to show him where the entrance began. The prince tucked his pack and basket inside, careful not to knock the basket over. 

“I worry for your comfort, though. I think you will fit, but it may get cold tonight. I cannot crawl inside there with you, the shape of my body won’t allow it, but I will become one with the tree and guard you as you sleep.”

“I have a blanket, if I take all of my other things out of it. I hope it will be enough for tonight.”

The creature nodded thoughtfully. “Are you yet ready for sleep? Your eyes are bright and shining, but drowsy.”

The prince stretched his arms, yawning as if on cue. “I’m very tired, yes. I stayed up very late so that I left when everyone was asleep, and no one could stop me from coming here to you.”

“Make yourself a bed of the earth, then, and tell me if you are comfortable enough. If you find you cannot rest, we will think of something else.”

Nodding softly, the prince knelt, unrolling his pack, setting his extra clothes against the inside of the hollow tree, and crawled inside, pulling the blanket over himself and scooting inside as close to the tree as he could, using his clothes for a pillow. 

“All right in there?”

“Not as comfortable as I’m used to, but the ground is soft, and my blanket is warm, and you’ll be here with me, so…” He yawned again.

“Good. I’m entering the tree now, then.” There was a sound, one the prince had never noticed, like branches creaking in the wind, and then the creature was silent. 

“Are you still there?” the prince wondered aloud, his voice soft with the beginnings of sleep, and he briefly felt the creature’s hand touching his face from above, the last thing he remembered before he drifted off.


	11. Epilogue

In the following days, the creature constructed a home for the prince, a shelter in the trees where he could rest undisturbed, and at a height where the creature could easily reach him. They constructed, together, a ladder of wood and vines that could be unrolled from above, that the prince might come and go as he pleased, though he could just as easily escape into the creature’s arms. They crafted pillows and blankets of fur and moss and leaves, a comfortable nest for him to crawl into. Some nights he slept in the treehouse, and some nights he slept in the creature’s arms, held by him, feeling truly loved for the first time in his life.

Over time, the prince slowly stopped wearing the clothes he’d brought with him, except on direly cold winter days. Between the two of them, they learned to create fires for warmth - though, of course, the creature was not affected as strongly by the weather - and the creature showed the prince where the best sources of water could be found, as well as the different leaves and berries to eat, which led the prince to create different beverages, heated over the winter fires and shared, of course, with the creature, the steam warming them both, their fingers entwined.

They built a life together, the creature and his prince, and although neither of them knew what they were doing, they figured it out together, every day finding themselves more in love than the one before. 

The prince never returned to the castle, but for many, many years, there were hushed whispers of the two strange, wild figures someone could  _ swear _ they saw, just at the edge of the woods.


End file.
